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A London-based Skadden lawyer has earned the dubious distinction of becoming the first person to be jailed as part of the FBI's investigation into collusion between Donald Trump's presidential campaign team and Russia.

Alex van der Zwaan, a Dutch national and BPP graduate who worked at the US firm's London office, admitted lying to Special Counsel Robert Mueller about his contact with Trump campaign aide Robert Gates.

He also withheld emails from investigators which they produced during an interview with van der Zwaan while he was still being represented by lawyers from Skadden. Van der Zwaan had not disclosed the incriminating emails to Skadden, either, and it subsequently fired him. "He was essentially caught red-handed” said Judge Jackson as she sentenced him to 30 days in prison. She said that van der Zaan was no "deer in headlights", and knew that the information he was withholding was important.

Van der Zwaan's lawyer argued that van der Zwaan should not have to serve time in prison because he had already been stuck in his hotel room for months with nothing to do. The 33-year-old's calls with his lawyer were, claimed his lawyer, the highlight of his day. Judge Jackson said she was not “terribly moved” by the argument.

Flying Dutchman.

Very Stationary Dutchman.

Sources at Skadden have claimed that van der Zwaan graced RollOnFriday's pages in 2009, when it was reported in a blind item that a newly qualified lawyer at Skadden's Canary Wharf office had started throwing bottles around a bar after going drinking to celebrate being kept on as an associate. One nearly hit a woman in the head, resulting in the lawyer being chinned by a bouncer and banned from the bar. Sources said it was none other than zan der Zwaan.

Former colleagues also claimed that van der Zwaan was a "total tool" who treated support staff less than excellently and was called up on his behaviour by HR on more than one occasion. A source said that some partners at Skadden "let him get away with blue murder" because "they were in awe of his ‘connections’". Van der Zwaan and Skadden did not respond to requests for comments.